Ask George Q&A column: No cash means no frills in-flight

Monday

Jun 25, 2007 at 12:01 AMJun 25, 2007 at 7:48 PM

I flew on Frontier Airlines recently and was shocked to discover that they didn’t accept cash payments for in-flight TV and alcoholic beverages.

Q: I flew on Frontier Airlines recently and was shocked to discover that they didn’t accept cash payments for in-flight TV and alcoholic beverages. Are there other airlines that don’t accept cash? I was forced to declare bankruptcy last year and therefore don’t carry credit cards.

A: A few other smaller airlines have also stopped accepting credit cards for drinks, entertainment, food, and other in-flight purchases. These include Aloha, Airtran, ATA, Hawaiian, and Spirit. I expect that at least some airlines will follow suit. Frontier claims that this move will speed service. Think of it this way: if you’re using an airline-affiliated credit card you’ll get a free trip that much faster.

Q: What’s the difference between a nonstop flight and a “direct” flight? Or are they the same thing?

A: Nonstop flights are not the same as direct flights. Direct means that there is no change of planes, but the flight does make a stop. However, airlines play games with the “direct” designation, and sometimes even flights labeled direct require a change of equipment and a layover.

Q: I want to book a flight from Brussels to Venice on Ryanair. When I attempt to purchase the flight online, the site requests that I also purchase travel insurance. Is this really necessary? I’m aware that this budget airline charges a lot for checked baggage and overweight bags. Is the insurance just another scam?

A: It’s true that Ryanair (www.ryanair.com), which currently flies only within Europe but one day may fly trans-Atlantic if it gets approval, charges for checked bags (about $10 per bag if prepaid in advance). It also charges about $5 per pound for any bag weighing over approximately 33 pounds (these fees are each way, not roundtrip). And you’re only allowed to bring one item of hand luggage on board, weighing no more than about 22 pounds, meaning that most people end up checking luggage. As for insurance, I think you’d be better off purchasing from a well known US-based provider, such as CSA, TravelGuard, Access America, or TravelSafe. By the way, for those not familiar with Ryanair, this budget carrier often has fares within Europe for just a few cents each way, although the taxes and other fees do add up.

Q: We rented a car in Costa Rica a few years ago, and the rates seemed reasonable until you added in the mandatory insurance. We showed the rental car agent our American Express rental car coverage, but they insisted that the law required us to buy additional insurance anyway. Is this still the case?

A: From what I can gather, it is. You are required by the government to buy liability insurance, which covers you, for example, in case you hit a pedestrian, but does not cover the rental car itself. This insurance can add $10-$20 per day to the cost of the rental. Many people don’t realize it, but their credit cards do not cover personal liability when renting a car, leaving them open to potentially devastating law suits (personal auto insurance on your own car may cover you in the United States, but not overseas). In addition, when renting a car in Costa Rica (and many other countries), you may be required to purchase collision damage insurance (CDW or LDW), which costs an additional $10-20 per day depending on vehicle type. But this insurance has loopholes too: as its name suggests, it covers only collisions with another vehicle. It does not cover a collision, say, with a building, nor does it cover vandalism to the vehicle. So you may want to buy additional insurance that reduces your liability to near zero. You’ll also be stuck with an airport concession fee of 12 percent and a fee for additional drivers. These extra charges can easily surpass the daily rental fee itself. Almost makes you want to take a taxi everywhere or public transportation!

George Hobica is the creator of airfarewatchdog.com, an airfare listing and advice Web site. Send your questions to George at askgeorge@cnc.com

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